Wall fixture



9st. 23, 195i M. J. ZEMMEF: 2,572,797

1mm, FIXTURE} July 10, 1947 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 23, i951 FIXTURE Myron J. Zimmer, Wood Dale, Ill., assigno'r Ek'co' Products Company, Chicago, 111., 'a cor-' pora tion of l llinois Application July- 0,1947, Serial: No. 7.5.9.975.

rolaiii (Cl. 211-87) This invention refers to a wall fixture. for supporting tools, kitchen implements and the likein a convenient manner when such tools are "not in use.

The object of this invention is to provide a fixture of this character comprising a strap-like base member provided with a pair of attaching ears spaced apart lengthwise of the base member for removable connection with a pair of spaced apart fastening studs fixed in a wall or the like.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a fixture of this character wherein the base member is sufliciently rigid to normally maintain the attaching ears at a distance apart at variance with the distance between the fastening studs and yet yieldable to pressure along its longitudinal axis to position the ears in alignment with the fastening studs whereby the ears and fastening studs are removably connected under internal restraint of the base member.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, this invention consists in the construction, combination and. arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wall rack embodying the features of this invention as it appears when in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof including a full line portion showing the rack as it appears when detached from the wall, and a dotted line portion showing the device as it appears when operatively positioned on the wall.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the article a shown in full lines in Fig. 2, with parts broken away to show details of the bracket.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I U designates a hanger bar of flexible strap construction having a pair of ears II and I2 secured to one face thereof by welding or other suitable means, in positions apart lengthwise of the bar "I. The ears are adapted to be supported in abutment with a suitable wall surface I3, by means of fastening elements 14 and I5 anchored in and projecting from said wall surface, said ears being substantially concealed from frontward view by the bar I0. As shown, a key hole slot l6 formed in the ear II and a similar slot II formed in the ear I2 provide holes or passageways in which the fastening elements l4 and respectively, have entry to establish such supporting connection with the cars. It will be ob served that'the position of the ears ll and 12 with respect to the oppositely disposed surface of the bar Ill is such as to provide clearance therebetween for accommodating a head at the outer terminal 'of the fastening elements I4 and I5, respectively.

The distance between the fastening elements I 4 and I5 is shorter than the distance between the slots l1 and 16 of the ears II and I2 when the bar II] is in an unflexed or detached state as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. In order to shorten the distance between the ears so as to place the slots in alignment the fastening elements, preparatory to mounting the bar ID in operative position, the bar In is flexed into a shape as shown in dotted line in Fig. 3. Each of the slots is enlarged at the end thereof extending in the direction longitudinally outward of the adjacent end of the bar Ill, through which the heads of the fastening elements I4 and I5 have initial entry to the space between the ear and the oppositely disposed surface of the bar It). The material of the bar In is of such elasticity as to be flexed into a shape to position the slots of the ears in receiving relation to the fastening elements without exceeding the elastic limits of the bar. Thus, upon releasing pressure along the longitudinal axis of the bar If! after the fastening elements have entered the slots, the stress of the bar in seeking to resume its normal extended shape will move the ears in a direction to shift the narrow portion of the slots behind the heads of the associated fastening elements so as to obstruct removal of the ears therefrom in a direction axially of the fastening elements, and to maintain such relative positioning of the ears until pressure is manually applied to the bar to shorten the distance between the slots. Accordingly the fixture is securely retained in fixed position on the supporting surface by the tension of the bar In and removable therefrom by an inward shifting of the ends under a force of sufficient magnitude to overcome the internal stress of the bar when in such deformed shape.

To provide for the simultaneous suspension of a series of tools or implement a set of hooks I9 is suitably secured to and projects from the exposed front surface of the bar In at spaced intervals lengthwise thereof. v

It will also be noted that the peripheral edges of the ears cooperate with the wall surface H at such distance from the openings l 6 and I! as to limit the extent of tilting movement of the ears about an axis coincident with a straight line between the fasteners l4 and I5, thereby preventing undue wobbling of the rack.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the present invention provides a simple and eflicient supporting rack which may be readily positioned on a wall surface and at the same time may beremoved, dismantledzand packed in a very small space;

What is claimed is:

A rack for readily detachable connection to apair of headed pin fasteners anchored at afixed distance apart on a stationary support, said' rack comprising an elastic strapmember having fas tener engaging means thereon substantially concealed from frontward view bysaid strap member, said fastener engaging meansv comprising ears projecting inwardly from opposite ends of lengthwise of said strapmember -and-ofv such:

restricted dimension in a: direction inwardly of the ends of the strap member asto accommodate Number") '4 entry of the headed pin fasteners in said opening only at the enlarged part of the openings located nearest the ends of the strap member when the latter is flexed to bring the ears closer together and in conformity with the spacing between said pin fasteners, thereby to effect resilient engagement with the latter at the parts ofsaidiopenings of restricted dimension;

1 1 MYRON'J. ZIMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The-following referencesare of record in the file of 'this patent:

' UNITEDLSTATES PATENTS v Name Date D. 149,919 Ullmann June 8, 1948 9701854 Schwartz Sept. 20, 1910 1,189;677 Farlese July 4, 1916 1,571,000 Eustis Jan. 26, 1926 1,575370 J'ankowsky "Mar. 12, 1 926 1;818',814 Riggs etal. Aug. 11; .1931- 2108196 DaViS .4.-- Feb) 15 1938" 

